Well, I do believe that Hooch has died and gone to heaven. He is smelling decidedly rank now and no action except for a few tired bubbles. Hope the worms appreciate his remains.
Yogi is still smelling yeasty and froths. I expected a little more action though. He probably increases by about 50% in the 24 hour period. Perhaps I need to feed him more often now?
10 March 2011
08 March 2011
Collapsing dough
I'm still struggling with my dough being too soft to hold it's shape and little or no oven spring.
I really do think that I'm allowing too long for proof at each stage and indeed, my recent reading indicates that the time it takes for the double rise in the first sponge indicates how long the preparation should take up to baking the loaf. So, if my initial rise is 6 hours, then bulk proof, kneading, shaping. and all the mini rests in between should be about this time or even a little less.
I timed my sponge at about 5 hours to doubling. I let it continue for an extra hour and found that the sponge had collapsed at the 6 hour point. So, to my thinking, the much longer proof times that recipes have been telling me to use has done nothing except exhaust the dough. It becomes very wet and difficult to handle and there's no capacity for oven rise.
I really do think that I'm allowing too long for proof at each stage and indeed, my recent reading indicates that the time it takes for the double rise in the first sponge indicates how long the preparation should take up to baking the loaf. So, if my initial rise is 6 hours, then bulk proof, kneading, shaping. and all the mini rests in between should be about this time or even a little less.
I timed my sponge at about 5 hours to doubling. I let it continue for an extra hour and found that the sponge had collapsed at the 6 hour point. So, to my thinking, the much longer proof times that recipes have been telling me to use has done nothing except exhaust the dough. It becomes very wet and difficult to handle and there's no capacity for oven rise.
05 March 2011
SDJ - day 5
Yogi is increasing in volume and smells lovely and yeasty now. He didn't double over the 24 hour period, but is likely to soon.
Hootch is not doing anything much. Still producing hootch and the alcohol smell just about knocks me over.
Hootch is not doing anything much. Still producing hootch and the alcohol smell just about knocks me over.
04 March 2011
SDJ - day 4
Nothing happening - I think it's just too hot inside. Thinking of draping wet hand towels around them to see if they do better in a cooler temperature.
Yesterday Yogi had a nice little fungus growth happening on the surface which I was able to remove as there was also a skin formed. Some bubbles on the surface this morning, so he is still alive but not active. Pleaseant smell.
Hooch has a very ripe alcoholic smell and I don't think any fungi are game to grow in that environment. Very thin layer of hooch on the surface but no other activity.
Yesterday Yogi had a nice little fungus growth happening on the surface which I was able to remove as there was also a skin formed. Some bubbles on the surface this morning, so he is still alive but not active. Pleaseant smell.
Hooch has a very ripe alcoholic smell and I don't think any fungi are game to grow in that environment. Very thin layer of hooch on the surface but no other activity.
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